“On the day of the Mahasamadhi itself, whether consciously or intuitively, his actions were most deliberate and full of meaning. His solitary meditation for three hours in the morning from eight to eleven was the most striking. He rose rather early that day and, after partaking of his tea, entered the chapel of the monastery. After some time it was noticed that he had closed all the windows and bolted all the doors. What transpired there, no one will ever know. In his meditation his own Master and the Divine Mother — to his own realization One and the Same Personality — must have been present, for, when he had finished, he broke forth in a touching song in which the highest Jnana mingled with the highest Bhakti.
Descending the stairs of the shrine, he walked back and forth in the courtyard of the monastery, his mind withdrawn. Suddenly the tenseness of his thought expressed itself in a whisper loud enough to be heard by Swami Premananda who was nearby. The Swami was saying to himself, “If there were another Vivekananda, he would have understood what Vivekananda has done! And yet, how many Vivekanandas shall be born in time!!” This remark startled his brother-disciple, for never did the Swami speak thus, save when the flood-gates of his soul were thrown open and the living waters of the highest Consciousness rushed forth.
Another unusual incident took place, when the Swami, who was not in the habit of taking his food with his brother-monks and disciples, dined with them in the refectory. Still more strange was his relish of food. He had never felt better, he said.
At 1 p.m., a quarter of an hour after the midday repast, the Swami entered the Brahmacharis’ room and called them to attend the class on Sanskrit grammar.
Some time later the Swami, accompanied by Swami Premananda, went out for a long walk, as far as the Belur Bazaar, and spoke with his brother-disciple on many interesting subjects, particularly on his proposed scheme of founding a Vedic college in the monastery. In order to have a clearer understanding of what the Swami felt on the matter, Swami Premananda asked, “What will be the good of studying the Vedas, Swamiji?” To this the Swami replied, “It will kill out superstitions!”
After meditating and telling his beads for about an hour, he laid himself down on his bed on the floor, and calling the disciple, who was waiting outside, asked him to fan his head a little. He had the rosary still in his hand. The disciple thought the Swami was perhaps having a light sleep. About an hour later, his hand shook a little. Then came two deep breaths. The disciple thought he fell into Samadhi. He then went downstairs and called a sannyasi, who came and found on examination that there was neither respiration nor pulse. Meanwhile, another sannyasi came and, thinking him to be in Samadhi, began to chant aloud the Master’s name continually, but in no way was the Samadhi broken! That night an eminent physician was called in. He examined the body for a long time and afterwards said that life was extinct.
The next morning it was found that the eyes were bloodshot and that there was a little bleeding through the mouth and nostrils. Other doctors remarked that it was due to the rupture of a blood-vessel in the brain. This clearly leads to the conclusion that, in the process of Japa and meditation, his Brahmarandhra [aperture in the crown of the head] must have been pierced when he left the body!
(p.652-656, V.2, Life of Swami Vivekananda)